Connector with strain relief



Oct. 17, 1950 H. H. BURTT EIAL CONNECTOR WITH STRAIN RELIEF Filed may 27, 1949 TFM R. /NT fi m mH w mum HWC

M A zforngy Patented Oct. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT orncs CONNECTOR WITH STRAIN RELIEF 'I-ioratio H. Burtt, Hartsdale, William W. Koenig, Flushing, and Carl E. Soderstrom, New York, N. Y., assignors t Winchester Electronics Company, New York, N. Y.

Application May 27, 1949, Serial No. 95,658

2 Claims.

This invention relates to connectors.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector formed of separable parts, two of said parts having male and female contact elements respectively and a third insulating element serving as a cover and engageable with a cable to provide a strain relief for the cable and prevent its breaking away from the contact terminals and wherein one of the insulating members containing the terminals has a plurality of angularly spaced grooves through any one of which may extend the cable. 1 Other objects of the present invention are to provide an electrical connector with a strain relief arrangement wherein a cable can enter the connector at any one of a plurality of angular locations, which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, has a simple means for the connecting of the parts together and fixing the same against axial displacement from one another, compact and emcient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector assembly embodying the features of the present invention. 7

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the connector.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the connector parts and showing the angularly disposed grooves in the face of the same.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the female contact elements.

Fig. 5 is a spring clip used for the securement of the female contacting element and as well the male elements to the insulating parts.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View looking upon the connection of one of the spring clips with one of the contact elements.

Referring now to the figures, ID represents an insulating member having an arcuately extending peripheral flange H and a plurality of openings l2. Through these openings are extended male contact elements l3 which are shouldered, as indicated at M, to abut inwardly extending shoulders l5 within the opening l2. These male contacts are held in place by the insertion of a spring clip l6, into a groove provided in the contact element whereby to fix the same against outward displacement. Outwardly of the spring clip is a portion I! to which a cable wire can be soldered.

Embedded in the center of the insulating member Ill and projecting from one face thereof is an internallyv threaded sleeve i8 serving as one of the connecting parts.

.A second insulating member 2| is provided with a plurality of openings 22 receiving female contact elements 23 which are shouldered at 24 to engage with shoulder 25 within the openings 22. Each female element is provided with a groove 26 for receiving spring clip I6, Fig. 5, for the securement of the contact element in place within the opening 22 of the insulating member 2|. This female contact is slit as indicated at 21 and will receive the male contact element i3 upon the parts it! and 2| being brought together.

The insulating member 2| has an internally threaded opening 29 through which extends the internally threaded sleeve embedded in the insulating part II) when the parts are coupled together so that the contact elements of the parts are in contact engagement with each other.

The female contacts 23 have cable wire portions 3| to which the cable wires are soldered. In the front face, as shown in Fig. 3, there are provided a plurality of angularly spaced recesses through any one of which may extend a cable 32. These recesses are indicated at 33. The cable 32, after passing through one of the recesses 33, can be divided and its cable wires can be connected to the respective contact elements.

The insulating part has a, peripheral recess 35 for receiving an insulating cover 36. This cover, upon being connected to the insulating part 2| through an inwardly extending externally threaded projection 31, fixes the cable within the groove, clamps the cable and prevents the disconnection of the cable wires from the contact elements. The threaded sleeve portion 31 engages with the threads 29 of the insulating part 2| and is fixed tightly upon the part 2|.

The cover 36 has an internally threaded portion 39 through which extends a screw bolt M for connecting the cap with the internally threaded sleeve l8 of the insulating part Iii. By this means, the parts l0 and 2| are made secure to one another and the contact elements are held in engagement with one another. The threaded portion I9 is to prevent the outward displacement of the screw bolt 4| from the cover 36 upon the screw bolt being disconnected from the internally threaded sleeve |8. Upon disconnecting the screw bolt 4|, the cover cap 36 and the part 2| will be tightly fixed together and removed as a unit from the part ID. The screw bolt 4| has a tapered head 42 which enters a 3 countersunk opening 43 in the cap and adapted to engage with a locking element 44 for preventing the turning of the screw once the screw has been tightened into the sleeve l8.

It should be apparent that there has been provided a connector having insulating parts with terminal contacts therein engageable with one another and a cover cap for one of the parts which is connected thereto in a manner to fix a cable to the part 21 at any one of a plurality of circu-mferentially spaced positions or grooves whereby the cable can enter the connector from any one of several directions without the cable having to be bent to reach the connector through but one opening.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it will be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and .scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. An electrical connector comprising an insulating member having a plurality of circum- .ferentially spaced contact elements connected thereto, an internally threaded sleeve extending from the insulating member and fixed thereto, a second insulating member having cooperating contact elements engageable with the contact elements of the first mentioned insulating member as the insulating members are coupled together, said second insulating member having a threaded central opening receiving said internally threaded sleeve portion of the first insulating member, said second insulating member having a groove adapted to receive a wire cable, a. cap having a threaded portion engageable with the threaded opening in the second insulating member and adapted to be brought into tight engagement with the cable upon the same being placed within the groove, and screw bolt means in said cap engageable with the internally threaded sleeve to secure the cap and the second insulating member as a unit to said first insulating member.

4 2. An electrical connector comprising an in sulating part having contact terminals thereon circumferentially spaced about the same, a threaded coupling member secured to the insulating member and projecting therefrom, a second insulating member having a plurality of cooperating and circumferentially spaced contact elements engageable with the respective contact elements of the first insulating member, said second insulating member having a central opening adapted to receive the coupling member, said second insulating member having a peripheral recess and angularly spaced grooves extending inwardly from said peripherally extending recess, a cap adapted to be fitted over the peripheral recess of the second insulating member and means for securing said cap to the second insulating member, said cap adapted to engage with a cable extending into the groove whereby to assume the strain of the cable, a coupling member extending through the cap and engageable with the coupling member of the first insulating member to secure the second insulating member and the cap as a unit on the first insulating member and the contact elements in contact relationship.

HORATIO' H. BURTT.

WILLIAM W. KOENIG.

CARL E. SODERSrROM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,897,954 DOlier, Jr. Feb. 14, 1933 2,112,752 Abbott Mar. 29, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 402,507 Great Britain Dec. '7, 1933 

